Marty-

Thanks for the feedback! I must say ALL of you are awesome!!!! I am blown away by the desire to offer feedback to me. I never dreamed I would have so much guidance from complete strangers-in all seriousness, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!! Makes me want to move there that much more. I will also add, the concept of "slowing down" will be alien to me. I am a very fast paced person, being born in NY. That was the hardest thing for me once I moved to the southern states. Now as a "potential newbie" what are those acronyms supposed to mean (IMO, IMHO, PMV)? Are they "in my opinion, honest opinion and pre-move visit"? I read about the "good Morning" etc. concept. I found that so quaint and awesome, but interesting.

Sherri,

I find it humorous that you hated it. I am not trying to sound malicious, just gives me a chuckle at the culture I could go through should I get a job and end up moving. Did you learn to love it? Are you still there? How long has it been?

THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!!!!

~K

wegek,
Still here and yes, I do love it! 26 years and running..... Only poor health would make me leave! Good luck to you and all my best!

wegek: When you finally went over to the relocation site it's pretty obvious that you didn't pay attention to the board moderator's first post which basically says, "click here if you're new to this site," THIS is a visitor's forum. The relocation site can provide you with an abundance of information related to relocating here and answer questions which you continue to post here.

On the relocation site there is a HUGE amount of information available to you totally relevant to such as you who are thinking of moving here. Forgive me for getting a bit testy but the visitor forum is not the place to be asking all these questions when VINow has probably the very best relocation information site available and which you seem to be ignoring. All those acronyms are explained on the relocation site. Go to http://www.vimovingcenter.com/ if going to it via this site has for whatever reason flummoxed you! Cheers and good luck!

Well I would like to say, again, thanks to all of your input and feedback. You are all very useful and quite friendly. I am learning more than I have thought I would on these type of message boards. I have relocated my queries to the moving section, and apologize for taking the time of you fine vacationers. I wish you the happiest of vacations and maybe I will see you around the islands before long 😀

I'd trade NY anytime.... People up here have only gotten worse. NYC (where I work) is full of really nasty people. I noticed (Thanks to sherri for reminding me) that when you say "good morning/evening" people actually smile. Up here, I tried that the second I got back and got a blank stair... lol. First thing I said was, "yeah .. back to lovely !@%$!@ NY".

I read up a lot before I chose STT for a vacation. The crime on STT over the past 5 years has been primarily local vs local and after being there I could probably show you exactly where most of it happens 🙁 After going to a store with a sign that says, no guns/fighting/etc, it was rather obvious.

The best advice I have read so far was to go but not as a vacation. Maybe even one of the lucky forum people can show ya around 🙂 I'm not sure where you are coming from but the prices of things will probably be backwards in most cases. NY vs USVI prices where totally opposite. Gas was a little higher (about a quarter... and it was 450 when I was down there) Chicken/meat was hella more expensive whereas fruit and RUM was much cheaper! You can find supermarket order lists online if you want to really know the details on the costs of food.

In this time and age, I would say if you can take the shot than shoot for it. If you can afford a trip (time/money wize) than that would be the best thing to do first.

I can't imagine anyone who CHOOSES to vacation in the USVI would say anything except that they love it. I do. What I do not see as a visitor is the high cost of living, being so far from family, social issues, government competence (or lack thereof), weather (I do not visit during hurricane season, duh) and so-on and on. It always looks like paradise to those who come and enjoy Virgin Island hospitality for a week or ten days.

I agree with many above who say to visit the relocation board here and come visit the place that you think you might just spend the rest of your life. You might also want to browse the USVI newspapers to get a feel for the problems that you might have to deal with as a resident.

As a frequent visitor I feel that I would move in a heartbeat IF I had enough income to support myself and my wife comfortably with enough left to be able to fly home to visit family or to subsidise their trips to see us regularly. Of course I have never ridden out a tropical storm or hurricane either. 🙂

Well said on all counts, toes in the sand!

With all due respect for the OP's question on this visitor's forum, it's very fortunate that VINow does have an incredibly informative relocation site which contains not only up to date general information pertaining to working and living in the USVI which can answer almost every question from a potential relocator but also has an active forum for even more info and the opportunity to ask questions not answered in the general info sections.

You're right on target though and I, for one, appreciate your sound perspective. Cheers!

And, yes, you got the abbreviations correct! IMO = In My Opinion, IMHO = In My Humble Opinion, and PMV = Pre Move Visit.

toes in the sand wrote:
I can't imagine anyone who CHOOSES to vacation in the USVI would say anything except that they love it. I do. What I do not see as a visitor is the high cost of living, being so far from family, social issues, government competence (or lack thereof), weather (I do not visit during hurricane season, duh) and so-on and on. It always looks like paradise to those who come and enjoy Virgin Island hospitality for a week or ten days.

I agree with many above who say to visit the relocation board here and come visit the place that you think you might just spend the rest of your life. You might also want to browse the USVI newspapers to get a feel for the problems that you might have to deal with as a resident.

As a frequent visitor I feel that I would move in a heartbeat IF I had enough income to support myself and my wife comfortably with enough left to be able to fly home to visit family or to subsidise their trips to see us regularly. Of course I have never ridden out a tropical storm or hurricane either. 🙂

Heh good points. How much does a home go for down there? Do you get slammed with any local taxes for owning something? NY even with the terrible market for housing your still getting killed to own something. When I looked I could afford a hurricane damaged one down there ... heh.

I'M A NURSE AND WAS OFFER AN ASSIGNMENT IN ST THOMAS,FREE HOUSING, IS IT SOMETHING I SHOULD CONSIDER.ITS AN 13 WEEK ASSIGNMENT.I'M SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT IT. I'M FROM THE STATES ,NEVER BEEN IN CARIBBEANS,I DID CHECK OUT RELOCATION SITE,HAS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT FOOD PRICES,AND STORES,R THERE ANY WALMARTS,SEARS,K-MART.?

I would think that with free housing, the free airfare you mentioned on another thread and the higher salary paid 'traveling' nurses vs. the local staff you shouldn't have to worry much about the food prices etc.
There is no Walmart -- 2 Kmarts [one larger] - you wouldn't need to buy much beyond food on a 13 week visit.

Marty,I'm an travel nurse who recently was offer assignment there virgin islands,well I'm considering it,its 13 week assignment,my concerns are the housing which mines will free,what kind do they have ex.apartments,single housing.also Internet services. Mimi

MIM215: When you went to the relocation forum did you click on the first message from board moderator "Islander" which says something to the effect of "click here if a new user?"

Many travel nurses are housed at Sapphire Village and others are at Watergate. These are all basic condo units. We have internet service here but what you can get depends on where you're staying so you need to be a little more specific. Again, this is a visitor forum and you should go to the relocation site to get basic information and answers to more specific questions via that site's forum.

I'm in your shoes right now, but I am definately planning visits all the way up until the actual move. =0)

Mimi: Not only check out the relocation board, but post your relocation questions there also! 😉